sea island

Billionaire Picks Up Frederica Development

The troubled Frederica Club has a new owner, billionaire businessman and former Miami Dolphins majority owner Wayne Huizenga. Wells Fargo & Co., foreclosed on the 2,500-acre golf resort last November. The price he paid was not disclosed. Earlier this year, Huizenga was said to be among the bidders for the entire assets of the Sea Island Co. before the developer of the iconic Georgia coastal resort went into bankruptcy. According to the article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Huizenga formerly owned the Boca Raton Resort and Club, the Arizona Biltmore, and the Floridian Golf Club and Marina. He currently owns the Diamond Creek Golf Club in Banner Elk, N.C.

The Frederica Club on St. Simons Island has an equestrian center, a freshwater lake of more than 300 acres and one of the top golf courses in the world. Homesites available in the development start at just under $1 million.

Tags: Frederica, frederica club, frederica development, george lucas, sea island, Wayne Huizenga

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Sea Island Company Files Chapter 11, Plans Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Since 2008 we've been chronicling Sea Island's financial troubles. The Georgia resort, which once hosted the G8 Summit and has been visited by presidents, celebrities and dignitaries of all sorts, has now filed for bankruptcy, unable to pay back more than $600 million in debt. The company has been owned for six decades by the family of William "Bill" Jones III but is now planning to sell its luxury resorts.The sale includes the Cloister at Sea Island, shown above, which won three Mobil five-star awards in 2009 for the hotel, the Cloister Spa and its restaurant, the Georgian Room.

The economic downturn has meant empty hotel rooms for the luxury enclave which has been struggling with debt since a massive redevelopment and expansion of the resort that cost more than $400 million. The plan calls for the Sea Island Company to sell its four resorts, three golf courses and two private clubs for a total of $197.5 million to a group of investors represented by two private firms. The AP reports that the new owners would be investment managers Oaktree Capital Management of Los Angeles and Avenue Capital Group of New York. Company CEO Bill Jones III will stay in place as top executive but will lose his controlling interest in the resort. The resorts will remain open, keeping around 1,400 workers employed. The Atlanta Journal Constitution stated that the official auction will take place in October with closing by November. The article mentions that some locals are concerned over the the takeover, worried that new owners could change part of the Sea Island magic that has kept people coming to the resort since the late 1920s.

Tags: chapter 11, chapter 11 bankruptcy, georgia real estate, sea island

Enlivening Exclusive Resorts: Moving Forward in the Destination Club Industry

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: By Design

Bovey Castle, England

As with many great ideas, this one started small, and from unpleasant, stressful experiences. Exclusive Resorts was originally founded seven years ago, by Brad and Brent Handler, two brothers who had consistently experienced classic vacation dilemmas with their own families. When traveling with children, grandparents and friends to high-end resorts and hotels, they experienced the same problems again and again: not enough room, no kitchens, child-unfriendly spaces, and the distinct impression from some hotel staffs that larger families with children were noisome rather than welcome.

At the same time, a new luxury travel idea was already in the air. That year, 2002, a company called Private Retreats, based in Telluride, Colorado, was launched to address the same vacation dilemma. It was called a destination club, a new idea with a model that combined two vastly different yet already successful industries: the country club and the fractional jet business. From the country club model came the idea of paying a membership deposit and annual dues, and from the fractional jet world came the idea of paying the dues and deposit in relation to the amount of time the potential member wished to use, so there was a range of pricing, usually from one month to three, or more or less. But in both cases, the member did not own or invest in the club, or the homes, instead he or she paid to use, and so it was called a non-equity club.

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Tags: Americas Group, destination, Destination Clubs, Exclusive Resorts, Miraval, Sea Island, Steve Case

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Wells Fargo takes over Sea Island Residential Development

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

A residential development that was part of the same company that owns Sea Island Resorts off southeastern Georgia's Atlantic coast, has been taken over by a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co.

Wachovia Bank (now part of Wells Fargo) took over the deed from the Sea Island Company for the Frederica development, a 3,000 acre residential community with home sites ranging from two to five acres, in mid-November. The loan for the property had been made by Wachovia, which merged with Wells Fargo in December, 2008. The transfer of the deed was a private transaction and not a foreclosure. The other assets owned by the Sea Island Co. are not impacted by the transaction.

"As the lender to the Frederica development, Wells Fargo has been working closely with the Sea Island Company to explore options for the property that would serve the needs of both parties and the community," says Wells Fargo spokesperson, Elise Wilkinson. "As a result, Sea Island has transferred ownership of Frederica, including the club property, to affiliates of Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company."

"We don't anticipate any changes in the short term," adds Wilkinson. "Ultimately, Wells Fargo will seek to sell the property to a new owner that is equipped to recognize the long-term potential of Frederica."

During the transition, the Sea Island Co. will continue to provide professional on-site management. "Wells Fargo will ensure the Frederica property is operated in a professional manner," says Wilkinson. "This is something that is very important to us." Wilkinson added that she doesn't anticipate any changes in the short term that would impact members or homeowners at Frederica.

The Frederica development is located on St. Simons Island and includes a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, deep water river frontage, a 400-acre fresh water lake, salt marsh and wooded views.Property sites currently on the market include a two acre undeveloped home site with expansive lake views for $1.7 million. A 5,600 square feet home (still under construction) on 2.4 acres with 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms is currently on the market for just under $5 million.

The Frederica development is a few miles from the world-renowned Cloisters resort, also owned by the Sea Island Co. The Cloister was the site selected by President George Bush to host the G-8 Summit of world leaders in 2004. Sea Island Resorts stretches along five miles of private beach and has served as an unrivaled Georgia luxury resort destination since 1928.

Sea Island Resorts consistently ranks high on lists of best spas, resorts and golf destinations published by such leading publications as Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and Mobil Five-Star. In addition to the Cloister at Sea Island, the development includes the Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club and the Sea Island Golf Club which has two 18-hole championship golf courses.

The Sea Island Co. has been owned by the Jones family since its inception in 1928. Alfred W. "Bill" Jones, III currently serves as its chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Jones is the fourth generation of his family to lead the company.

Merry Tipton, spokesperson for Sea Island Co., had no comment.

The Frederica development is the latest victim to troubled economic times. Earlier this month, Amelia Island Plantation, the 1,350-acre luxury enclave overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in northeast Florida filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Tags: cloisters, Frederica, sea island, SeaIsland, wachovia, wells fargo, WellsFargo

The Fall of 'New Money' Country Clubs

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

It has certainly happened before and as much as it stinks to draw another comparison to the Great Depression it seems country clubs made of 'new money' may follow the same path as one-third of the clubs did back then. Across the U.S. clubs are shutting their gates and greens one after another from the Gold Creek Golf Club in Dawsonville, Georgia to Golf Club of California in San Diego. Even Sea Island in coastal Georgia, which once ranked near the top in golf courses of the nation, recently laid off 400 employees.

As quickly as individuals came into fresh cash it disappeared on Wall Street and the like. $85,000 entrance fees once meant to keep the unworthy out have been reduced to free! I guess the 'old' clubs will continue to hang on -- that's how they earned the term 'old'.

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Tags: country club, CountryClub, dawsonville georgia, DawsonvilleGeorgia, gold creek golf club, GoldCreekGolfClub, golf club of california, GolfClubOfCalifornia, san diego, SanDiego, sea island, SeaIsland

Sea Island In Financial Trouble

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

The Sea Island resort in Georgia is the latest luxury business to be hit by hard times. Back in August, Sea Island laid off around 500 workers, nearly a quarter of the staff. Now the resort is facing bigger financial trouble. The resort, which hosted the G8 Summit and has been visited by presidents, celebrities and dignitaries of all sorts, has been owned for six decades by the family of William "Bill" Jones III, its current chairman and CEO. The economic downturn has meant empty hotel rooms for the luxury enclave which has been struggling with debt since a massive redevelopment and expansion of the resort that cost more than $400 million. More of the expensive homes on the island are also up for sale than usual.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle the family is said to be exploring a possible sale of equity in the company to get their hands on some ready cash. They may also be considering selling other real estate but it's not a great time to be doing that either. The resort is doing everything it can to keep the Jones family in charge but the ambitious real estate development on the island was planned for a different time and the resulting jeavy debt could now mean some big changes are ahead.

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Tags: georgia, sea island, SeaIsland

Frederica, A New Community in Georgia

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Sea Island area of Georgia is home to a variety of luxury planned communities. One of the newest is Frederica, a golf complex spread out over 3,000 acres. The community will contain 400 homes and is a maze of waterways, wooded lands and bass lakes. The members-only golf course is designed by Tom Fazio and Sir Michael Bonallack. There is a clubhouse and a boathouse with ELCO boats. Other amenities include a guesthouse for out-of-town guests, a pool and poolhouse, tennis courts, stables and a cultural arts center. Buying at Frederica is not cheap, a two-acre lot is listed at $1,450,000.

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Tags: community, development, georgia, gofl, homesites, real estate, retirement communty, sea island